One-hand lid support



March 17, 1931.

Filed Aug. 20, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENTi OFFICE ARMER P. LU'KER, OF PHILADETIBH'IA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGN'OR TO VICTOR TALK- ING MACHIN-E'COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF N EW JERSEY ONE-HAND LID SUPPORT Application filed August '20, 1925. Serial No, 51,455.

This invention relates to a support for maintaining a movable member, such as the lid or cover of a talking machine cabinet, at a certain position of adjustment relative to the supporting body.

Devices of this type heretofore proposed for the most part have necessitated the use of both hands of an operator to actuate the same, one hand being employed in loosening 10 a locking member and the other hand in adjusting the movable member. Devices have also been proposed which are operable by one hand, but these devices so far suggested are objectionable in that they have been expensive to manufacture, are-subject to excessive wear,

or do not present a pleasing appearance.

An object of the present invention is to overcome these defects and to provide an improved support which "will eliminate the necessity for releasinga locking member, it

being necessary only to adjust the movable member, which adjustment may be made by the use of only one hand. Another object of the invention is to provide a one-hand support that will include mean-sfor yieldingly maintaining the movable member in at least one position of adjustment. These and other objects will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention will be readily understood so by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention that is particularly adapted for use in talking machine cabinets. It is -to be expressly understood, however, that the invention is adapted for use in many other combinations and is not limited to use in the particular combination illustrated in the drawings, wherein.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly insec- 40 tion, illustrating one embodiment of the present invention installed in a talking machine cabinet;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, somewhat enlarged, of the opposite side of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end View, partly in section, illustrating one manner in which the device may be installed in a talking machine or other cabinet; and

Fig..4 is an enlarged detail sectional view,

that portion'of the invention shown being taken on line 4-etof Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, 1 is a supporting body, as for example, the cabinet of a talking machine and 2 is a lid or cover which is movably secured in any suitable manner to body 1 as by means of the usuail hinges Secured to supporting body 1 or to member 2, at any desired point, but preferably to the inner surfac-e'of body 1 is an oblong plate 3 which carries on its inner side a channel bar 4. In the form shown the plate 3 and the bar 4% are mounted so that the latter extends into a recess 5 formed in the inner surface. of body 1, but it will be understood that this is not essential as bar 4 may be mounted on the outer surface of plate 3 or spacing washers may be employed between-the plate 3 and body 1. To facilitate the mounting of plate 3, a strip 6, formed of any suitable material, such as wood,maybe interposed between plate 3 and body 1 for receiving screws or other retaining members which extend through openings 3a into the body 1. Channel bar 4, which may be formed integrally with plate 3, is illustrated as being a separate member secured in any suitable manner toth'e surface of the plate 3, as by means of rivets 7, and is preferably provided with a-longitudinal slot 4a registering with a similar slotBb formed in plate 3.

Slidably mountedbetween the side walls 46 of the channel bar is a block 8 which may 1 be rectangular in shape and which is held in place between the walls by means of a suitable pivot member or pin 9. Preferably, block "8 is of such Width that it has frictional engagement on its upper and lower edges with the inner surfaces of said walls 46. Pivotally mounted on the outer end of pin 9 is a link 10 which is held in position by means of the outer head 9?) of the pivot pin and a washer 11 which is interposed between said link and the plate 8. The upper end of the link 1-() is pivotally. secured to an angle bracket 12 of any suitable type attached at a suitable point to the inner surface of lid 2, as by means of screws 13.

Means are preferably provided for rcsiliently maintaining block 8 in at least one adjusted position. As shown, such means comprises a pair of balls 14 which are positioned in a recess 8a formed in the block 8, and which are normally pressed outwardly by means of a spring 15 positioned in said re cess between the balls. In order to prevent the latter from becoming accidentally displaced from the recess 8a the metal of the block 8, adjacent the opposite ends of said recess, may be upset as illustrated at 16 in Figure 4. A pair of diametrically disposed openings, or recesses, is are provided at one or more suitable points in the walls ll) in the plane of the balls 14, which openings or recesses are adapted to be engaged by the balls for yieldingly maintaining block 8 in the desired position of adjustment.

Opemzfz'0n.The parts being in the position illustrated in Fig. 3, or in dotted lines Fig. 1, and it being desired to swing the lid or cover 2 to open position, it is only necessary to swing the front end of the lid upwardly and this movement is transmitted by bracket 12, link 10 and pivot pin 9 to the friction block 8, moving the latter toward the left as viewed in Fig. 1. When in raised position, the balls 14; come opposite openings 40 and are forced into said openings by the spring 15. Then it is desired to lower the lid 2, it is only necessary to press the same downwardly by a slight pressure, whereupon due to the curved surface of balls 14, the latter are forced out of the openings etc and block 8 moves to the left as viewed in Fig. 2.

The lid or cover can be opened or closed without noise and without the necessity of performing two operations or employing two hands. It will be evident that more than one pair of openings 40 may be provided for yieldingly maintaining the cover in various positions of adjustment. Various other changes may be made in the structure without departing from the invention defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described, co1nprising, in combination with a supporting body and a member mounted for movement relative to said body, a channel bar having straight side walls secured to the supporting body, one of said walls being provided with an opening, attaching means slidably mounted between said walls and having frictional engagement therewith, a yielding thrust member carried by said attaching means for engaging said walls and said opening, and a link pivotally connected to said member and attaching means.

2. A one-l1and lid support comprising, in combination with a supporting body and a lid pivotally secured thereto, a channel bar secured to the body, friction means slidably mounted between the side walls of said channel bar and having frictional engagement therewith, a member pivotally connected to said lid and to said friction means, and an abutment formed in one of said side walls and yieldingly engaged by said means for maintaining said lid in open position.

3. A device of the class described comprising a channel member having straight side walls with openings therein, a block provided with resilient detent means including a pair of spherical members slidably mounted in frictional engagement with said member and adapted to engage said openings, and supporting means operatively connected to said block and adapted to be maintained thereby in adjusted position.

4. A device of the class described comprising a channel member having straight side walls, a block slidably mounted between said walls and in frictional engagement therewith, supporting means operatively connected to said block, an abutment formed in one of the walls of said channel member, and means carried by said block for yieldingly engaging said abutment to maintain said block in a predetermined position relative to said channel member.

5. A device of the class described comprising a channel member having straight side walls, said side walls being provided with openings therein, a block slidably mounted in frictional engagement with said walls, supporting means operativcly connected to said block, and yielding means carried by said block adapted to frictionally bear on said walls and yieldingly engage said openings for yieldably maintaining said block in a pre determined position relative to said walls.

6. A one-hand lid support comprising, in combination with a cabinet and a lid pivotally secured thereto, a channel bar having a longitudinal slot therein secured to the cabinet, friction means within and slidably engaging the walls of said bar, a member pivotally connected to said lid, means extending through said slot for connecting said memher to said friction means and for retaining the latter in engagement with the walls of said bar, and means engaging one of said walls for yieldingly maintaining said lid in open position.

7 A device of the class described comprising a channel member having straight side walls, said side walls being provided with openings therein, a block slidably mounted in frictional engagement with said walls, supporting means operativcly connected to said block, and one or more spring pressed balls carried by said block and adapted to engage said openings for maintaining said block in a predetermined position relative to said walls.

8. A one-hand lid support comprising, in combination with a cabinet and a lid therefor, a pair of walls constituting guideways secured to the cabinet, a member slidably mounted between said walls, supporting means including a link operatively secured to said member and said lid, and resilient means carried by the member and normally held in compression by one of said walls but expansible into a depression or opening in said wall for yieldingly holding said member in adjusted position.

9. A one-hand lid support comprising, in combination with a cabinet and a lid therefor, a pair of parallel walls secured to the cabinet, a member slidably mounted between said walls, a link pivotally secured to said member and said lid, and resilient frictional means movable with said member and expansible into an opening in said wall for yieldingly holding said member in adjusted position.

10. A one-hand lid support, comprising in combination with a supporting body and a lid pivotally secured thereto, a channel bar secured to the body, a supporting member pivoted at one end to the lid, and slidably connected at its other end to the bar, the length r of said member being so chosen that the lid is confined to an acute angle with the top of the body, frictional means slidable with said member between the Walls of said bar, and an abutment formed in one of the walls of said channel bar and yieldingly engaged by said means for preventing closing of the lid by gravity.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

ARMER P. LUKER. 

